UK Pledges to End HIV Transmissions Within a Decade
January 31, 2019The UK government has vowed to end HIV transmissions by the year 2030, reports gov.uk.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock signed the pledge ahead of a the AIDSfree Cities Global Forum on Wednesday. The UK government has already hit its 2020 targets with only 4,363 diagnoses in 2017.
The government will target prevention methods towards gay and bisexual men, intravenous drug users, and minority ethnic groups.
“HIV and AIDS are challenges that we must rise to,” Hancock said. “The injustice, the unfairness, and the sadness they have brought and bring to this day must be tackled by us all.
“My generation grew up knowing AIDS was a potential death sentence. That doesn’t have to be the case anymore.
“Thanks to medical breakthroughs, public health campaigns, breaking down stigma and better education, AIDS is no longer a death sentence here.”
£600,000 of funding will be directed to 13 local HIV-prevention initiatives. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has also promised £2 million to fund global initiatives.